1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to guitar-like musical instruments and more particularly to an improved neck-body joint for such instruments.
2. The Prior Art
In a guitar or similar instrument, the joint between the neck of the instrument and the body of the instrument must be as firm as possible since any movement along this joint can cause both variations in string height, (decreases in this height causing spurious contact with the frets and thus possible buzzing of the instrument) and variations in string length (and thus in the intonation of the instrument.) However, in spite of the criticality of this joint, it has heretofore normally been accomplished with a glued butt joint. Sometimes a single dove-tail is included for reinforcement. These joints have not, however, provided the requisite strength to minimize movement along the joint.
This joint also controls the angle or pitch of the neck, and thus the fingerboard relative to the instrument body. If the plane of the fingerboard is the same as that of the guitar top, then a relatively low bridge (just slightly greater in height than the height of the fingerboard,) must be utilized. However, for optimum sound output, it is desirable that a higher bridge be utilized. Further, with this pitch, the player must reach out with his left arm when playing, a position which is less comfortable than if the arm could be positioned back closer to the player's body.
In view of the above, some manufacturers have pitched the instrument neck and fingerboard at a slight angle to the top of the instrument. However, in order to do this, they have had to taper either the fingerboard or the top (i.e. soundboard) of the instrument, either of which tends to weaken the neck-body joint and/or the soundboard.
A need therefore exists for an improved neck body joint for guitar-like musical instrument which is strong enough to prevent any movement along the joint while still permitting the neck of the instrument to be pitched at a desired angle relative to the instrument body.